Tong



0. V. JONES July 25, 1933.

TONG

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNE).

Patented July 25, 1933 NETED ST "res OSCAR V. J ONES, F DALLAS, TEXAS,ASSIGNOR. 0F THREE-EIGHTS T0 FElLIX VOGEIES, OF DALLAS, TEXAS TONG-Application filed August 14, 1931, Serial No. 556,973. Renewed June 10,1933.

This invention relates to oil well tools and equipment and it hasparticular reference to new and useful improvements in tongs forhandling pipes and casings.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision ofcertain cooperating elements whose relationship in the tong will preventcrushing or squeezing to a dangerous degree, of the pipe, tubing 01'casing to which the tongis applied.- The cooperating elements are sodesigned that the work gripping jaws of the tong will uniformly engagethe work with increasing pressure uniformly to rotate the same, such asin breaking joints of well casing or tubing and in fact, any characterof work to which the tong may be adapted.

Another object of the invention resides in an improved jaw latchingarrangement,

which is entirely automatic in its function and may be locked andunlocked at the will of the operator without danger. The lockingarrangement embodies the use of a tapered element in the form of awedge, cooperating with which is a hook, both of which elements areactuated to operative and inoperative positions by certain movements ofthe handle of the tong, the latter being moved either manually or bymeans of catlines or jerklines.

lVith the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has particularreference to its salient features of construction and arrangement ofparts, which will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tong embodying the elements of thepresent invention, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the tong partly in section,showing the relationship of the elements constituting the jaw lockingmechanism.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference isprimarily made to Figure 1 showing major and minor work engaging jaws 1and 2 respectively. The major work engaging aw is so shaped as toprovide a bearing 3, pivotally receiving the handle 4: and an adjacentbearing 5 to which is pivotally connected a bifurcated portion of theminor work engaging jaw 2. Pins I a and Z) form respective pivotalpoints for the handle and the minor work engaging aw 2. The pivotalrelationship between the awe and the handle obviously allows the minorwork engaging jaw 2 to swing well away from the companion jaw.

It is not considered necessary, in view of the well known historyoftools of this character, to dwell upon its use andv operation, otherthan to say that the tong is suspended in the conventional manner in aderrick so as to be readily moved toward and away from the pipe orcasing assembly. In explaining its use in this connection however, it isnot intended that tho tong shall be limited for use as a well tong sinceit is obvious that it may be equally as well applied in many other casestoo numerous to mention. The tong is also manually locked when the jaws1 and 2 collapse about the work. A description of the manner in whichthis is accomplished will follow presently.

The major work engaging aw-l is further provided with integral ears 6,between which is pivoted an arm 7 at 0. The peculiar construction ofthis arm provides a tail portion 8, which extends rearwardly of the jaws1 and 2 and passes between spaced pins 9, which are fixed'i'n abifurcated project-ion 10, integral with and extending at right anglesfrom the handle 1. The pins 9 function as a guide for the arm 7 and dueto the angular surface of the tail portion 8 engaged by the pins 9,

clock-wise movement of the handle 4 will displace the arm 7 on its pivotc and cause the opposite end to move toward the jawl. A tapered memberor wedge 11 isprovided, which has a square aperture 12 in one end toreceive the free end of the arm 7. The arm is freely movable in theaperture 12 and has a stop pin 13 in the extreme outer end thereof so asto prevent its release from the wedge 11. An integral projection 14 alsocarried by the arm 7 is disposed on the opposite side of the wedge 11 tolimit the sliding movement of the end of the arm? through the aperture12 of the wedge.

of the wedge is rounded serves to minimize friction at this point sinceit is required to slide in the small space between the outer wall of thejaw 1 and the surface of a block 16, pivoted at (Z in the bifurcateefree end of the jaw. A projection 17 extending from the curved end 15 ofthe wedge 11 enters a slotor groove 18 in the block 16. The block 16 isshaped to define a hook 19, which protrudes from between the portions ofthe jaw embracing the block and the hook is so disposed that it willengage a pin 20 passing through the forked end of the companion jaw 2.The locked relationship between the hook 19 and the pin 20 is sh own inFigure 2, which is the locked position of the jaws. It is important tonote the angle of that portion of the hook 19 which engages the pin 20and designated at e. The fact that the hook extends quite a distanceoutward and the further fact that the undersurface a is inclined orangular, variation in the size of the pipe to which the tong is appliedwill have no effect in preventing secure locking of the elements. At thesame time, it is impossible for the tong to crush the pipe when actuatedby a catline, not shown, connected to the extreme end of the handle 1 inthe aperture 21 provided therefor.

In operation, assuming that the tong is adapted for use in connectionwith rotary well drilling rigs, it is suspended from some point in thederrick in such manner that it will operativelv swing to and from thework. By urging he handle t in a counter-clockwise direction, theportion 8 of the arm 7 will be so engaged by the pins 9 in the handle asto urge the opposite end of the arm 7 downwardly, thereby withdrawingthe wedge 11 from between the walls of the jaws 1 and 2. The. projection17 carried by the end of the wedge will slide in the groove 18 in theblock 16 and will thereby rock the latter on its pivot (Z. obviouslydisengaging the hook from the pin 20 carried by the minor workingengaging aw 2. Ordinarily, the jaw 2 will swing outwardly to theposition shown in Figure 1 without manual effort but if necessary tomanually move the jaw 2, a hand grip 22 is provided for this purposThusthe tong ma be removed from the work.

VWhen applying the tong, it is advanced upon the work with the jaw outspread in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2 and upon engaging thework, the aws are manually closed about the same and a pull in aclockwise direction upon the handle t by the line will cause the arm 7to urge the wedge 11 into position between the block 16 and the aws iand the projections 17 carried thereby sliding in the groove 18 of theblock. The hook 19 is thus urged into position to engage the pin 20 onthe minor aw 2, whichaction securely locks the jaws together about thework as explained. Reciprocation of the tong on the work willintermittently rotate the latter by reason of the gripping elements 28,whose construction is such as to engage the work when the tong isrotated in one direction and release the same upon rotation of the tongin the opposite direction. It will be noted that these slips or grippingelements are removable and interchangeable. A pin 24 is rovicled forholding the elements in place.

danifestly, the construction shown and described is capable ofconsiderable modification and such modification as is considered withinthe scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered withinthe spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe and easing tong including a pair of semi-circular jaws hingedfor relative movement and having serrated work engaging slips removablymounted therein, one of said jaws having a handle pivoted theretoadjacent the hinged point between said jaws, said handle having abifurcated projection extending therefrom, a jaw latching mechanism,said mechanism comprising a block pivoted in the free end of one of saidjaws having a grooved side and a hook shaped end and capable of engagingwithin a recess in the companion jaw, a wedge having a projectionentering the groove of said block and means pivoted to the jaw carryingsaid block having operative connection with said handle and said wedgewhereby to actuate said block upon movement of said handle.

2. A pipe and easing tong including substantially semi-circular jawshinged for relative movement and having bifurcated free ends, ahookshaped latch pivoted in one of said bifurcations to engage within thebifurcation of the other of said aws to hold the same in lockedposition,a handle pivoted to one of said jaws, a wedge arranged to slidablyengage said hook shaped member to effect pivotal movement of said hookshaped member and means pivoted to said last mentioned jaw and havingoperative connection with said wedge and handle to actuate said wedgeupon movement of said handle.

8. A pipe and easing tong including substantially semi-circular jawspivoted together for relative movement, a hook shaped member pivoted inone of said jaws, a pin in the other of said jaws to receive said memberto holdsaid jaws in closed position, a handle pivoted to one of saidjaws, a wedge arranged to slidingly bear against one side of said hookshaped member and means for actuating said wedge upon movement of saidhandle tomove said hook shaped member to locked and unlocked position.

1. A pipe and casing tongincluding jaws arranged to embrace the work, ahandle carried by one of said jaws, each of said jaws having bifurcatedends for receiving cooperating latching mechanism, said mechanismcomprising a member pivoted in one of said one of said jaws having oneend loosely connected to said latter means and its other end slidablyconnected With said handle whereby movements of said handle will betransmitted to actuate said hook member.

OSCAR V. JONES.

